The present case is generally directed to transducer fly height control in a data storage device. Some data storage devices, such as hard disc drives, use radially movable data transducers to access data tracks on media recording surfaces to carry out data I/O operations with a host device. The transducers are often hydrodynamically supported in close proximity to the surfaces by fluidic (e.g., air) currents established by high speed rotation of the media.
The continued demand for devices with increased data storage densities has generally led to the development of fly height adjustment capabilities that can be enacted during device operation. For example, fly height adjustment capabilities have been proposed whereby a common amount of fly height adjustment is applied across the board to multiple transducers in a given device. This technique can be useful during a ramp unload operation in which the transducers are moved from the media surfaces and parked on a ramp structure during a device deactivation sequence. Fly height adjustments can also be carried out by adjusting the rotational velocity of the media, as transducers can be configured to fly at heights that are proportional to media rotational rate.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for further improvements in the art for devices that can accommodate a variety of different performance and power utilization modes while maintaining the ability to store and retrieve user data. It is to these and other improvements that various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed.